The Elingamite.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 291, 4 December 1902, Page 1

The Elingamite.

Auckland, December 1. The inquiry into the loss of the Eiingamite was resumed to-da)'. Mr Burkitt, chief officer, stated that the vessel had not been sur-

veyed since April or May last. .‘flu-. m;i V«.y o-uoLuJ, a.. f.. r •«« l»n j was concerned, of an examination lot [he deck and boats. There Iw. ■ no external inspection beyond |tL ,r made by himself and the icajdain. W tness personally exiamined the boats and equipment !on the last trip from.; Auckland to tv. Iney in October. The whole equipment was c met and in -q.»d order. He saw that everyihing was up -tayrequirements. He had not made a detailed inspection of the b> a s since October. All were sound and in good order, and the equipment was correct. It was not customary to keep compasses in boats. [They were in a box on the bridge, jHo was trying to get them out I when he was washed overboard. The pi. per equipment for a boat was oais, rowlocks, sails, beaker and water, lamp, rudder, tiller, two painters, and hatchet. Boat drill took place twice during every trip. Witness was relieved when the ship struck, and he heard the telegraph ring “ Full [speed astern.’’ He went on deck and saw rocks on the port side. Heard no bumping previously. Shortly after be got on deck the steamer grated. He believed it was on the po.t bilge forward. Stern was not right up to the rocks. Had not asked the opinion of the engineers as to wny the engines did not move. It never occurred to aim that a feasible supposition was that the propeller was fast on the rocks.

Mr Burkett, in reply to the Magistrate, said that so far as he knew the people put into No. 1 boat had nothing in the way of provisions except water. He did not see any provisions put into No. 3 boat. The stewaids helped to put the passengers in the boats. No delay was caused by the passengers interfering.

Mr Burkett said that the missing boat in charge of the third officer was taken round the bow, but in the afternoon he saw a boat which must have been this boat two or three miles ahead of him. He could not account for the beaker in the raft being empty, but it might have been capsized when the raft was launched. His idea was to launch the boats first and get the people in before thinking about provisions. Edward Allen, the donkeyman, said that about 10.40 a.m. on the day of the wreck he saw a backwash on the starboard side. This to his mind indicated a nearness u> land. He saw the land not half the ship’s length from amidships. The ship was broadside on to land about half a minute. Later he heard the lookout man say •' breakers ahead.” Half a minute later the ship went on the land. Witness saw two women washed oft the deck after the boats had been launched. could not say whether they were" picked up or not. The inquiry was then adjourned.

At the Elingaraite inquiry, Henry W. Arkins, second engineer, said that on Sunday morning he was in his room and heard the telegraph ring. He went to the engine room, and was there in about thirty seconds after the telegraph rang. He found the chief engineer and th fourth engineer endeavouring to get the engiiicsto reverse. He attributed the refusal of the engines to answer 'to the propeller being jammed in the rocks. It was not possible that three minutes could have elapsed between the time order “ full speed astern ” was given and the ship struck. Witness also stated that on the trip from Sydney they were getting all the speed they could out of the vessel. This was done by instructions from the chief engineer, to make the best trip they could, and was understood by all the

engineers, K Scott, third engineer, and Thomas Mallin also gave evidence. Wellington, December 1. The Premier has received from Captain Worsley of the Government steamer, Countess of Ranfurlv, an account of the search for the Elingamite’s missing boat. The captain reports that he searched the Three Kings Islands, but found no trace of recent habitation. He then proceeded east, but was prevented from searching south-west of Cape Maria Van Diemen by wind, and a current north-east by east of the West King. He spoke the barque Gogoburn, from Newcastle to Callao. She had passed thirtythree miles north of the Three Kings, but saw no signs of the missing boat. The captain promised to keep a look out for the jnext hundred miles to the east. The Countess of Eanfurly then zigzagged back to Auckland, having covered 1023 miles. The captain thinks the only hope for the occupants of the boat is that they have been picked up by an ‘eastward-bound vessel.